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Professor Colin Blakemore

Sue Lawley's castaway is neurobiologist Professor Colin Blakemore.

The castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is the scientist Colin Blakemore. A brilliant student, he became an Oxford professor at the age of 35 and since then he has commanded enormous influence through his research and the way he has tried to communicate the importance of science to the world at large.

He'll be talking to Sue Lawley about his main work - the functioning of the human brain - and about his research on the relationship between vision and brain development. He'll also be describing how his experiments in this area involving animals have made him the target of attacks from animal rights activists.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Die Zauberflote Oittre Nicht - The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Book: The Discoverers by Daniel Boorstin
Luxury: Solar-powered internet (to receive, not send)

Available now

40 minutes

Last on

Sun 6 Apr 1997 12:15

Music Played

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

      O zitt're nicht (from The Magic Flute)

      Soloist: Edita Gruberova Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra

      • Die Zauberflote.
      • EMI.
  • Georges GuΓ©tary

    Ma Belle Marguerite

    • The Water Gipsies/Bless The Bride.
    • World Records.
  • Igor Stravinsky

    The Rite of Spring

    Orchestra: The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Leonard Bernstein

    • Stravinsky - Le Sacre Du Printemps.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
  • Thelonious Monk

    Honeysuckle Rose

    • The Unique Thelonious Monk.
    • Riverside.
  • Aaron Copland

    Fanfare for the Common Man

    Orchestra: The Detroit Symphony Orchestra

    • Copland: El Salon Mexico/Dances Symphony.
    • Decca.
  • The Beatles

    Come Together

    • The Beatles 1967 - 1970.
    • Apple.
  • Richard Strauss

    Also Sprach Zarathustra

    Orchestra: The Portsmouth Sinfonia

    • Portsmouth Sinfonia Plays The Popular Classics.
    • Transatlantic.
  • Richard Wagner

    Parsifal Act 2

    Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic Conductor: Herbert von Karajan

    • Wagner's Parisifal.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
  • Book Choice

    • The Discoverers - Daniel Boorstin

  • Luxury Choice

    • Solar-powered internet (to receive, not send)

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Sue Lawley
Interviewed Guest Professor Colin Blakemore

Broadcasts

  • Sun 8 Sep 1996 12:15
  • Fri 13 Sep 1996 09:05
  • Sun 6 Apr 1997 12:15

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